Bomb-dropper.



H. LIMANOWSKI. BOMBDROPPER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 24. 1918.

l R n g Wm h a m, R

H. LIMANOWSKI.

BOMB DROPPER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 24. l9 l8- 1,295,534. Patented Feb. 25, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

iiiiiiiiiiiiim Fi iiiiilw. 'wyw II INVENTOR Imzy .Zlmmv' A'Zw'.

BY 44a: .ZlzKATTORNEY H. LIMANOWSKI.

BOMB DROPPER.

APPLICATION men MAY 24. I918.

Patented Feb. 25, I919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

INVENTOR [lazy Myanmar/ ka.

in} ATTORNEY NT OFFICE.

BOMB-DROPPEB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 25, 1919.

Application filed May 24, 1918. Serial No. 286,257.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY LIMANOWSKI, a subject of the Emperor ofAustria, residing at Hastings-upon-Hudson, county of Westchester, andState of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBomb-Droppers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for dropping bombsfrom aeroplanes, and has as its special object the provision of meanswhereby a plurality of bombs engaged upon a cable supported by theaeroplanes may be dropped collectively or separately as may be desired.

A further object is to provide means whereby the bombs are released,mechanism carried within'the cars of the aeroplanes, all of the severa1devices being under the ready and immediate control of the operators.

A still further object is to provide means whereby the operators in oneof the aeroplanes are enabled to communicate with those in theaccompanying aeroplane.

These and other like objects are attained by the novel construction andcombination of parts hereinafter described and shown in the accompanyingdrawings, forming a material part of this disclosure, and in whichFigure 1 is a front elevational view, showing a plurality of bombs andthe aeroplanes by which they are supported.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional and front view, showing oneof the aeroplanes and the cable connection by which the bombs aresupported.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view, taken through one ofthe bomb supporting means.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view,taken on line 4.4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view showing a modified form of support andcarrying cable.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged transverse sectional view, taken through one ofthe supports shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a similar view of the same, the

bomb engaging means being in a retracted position.

Fig. 8 is a further enlarged fragmentary transverse sectional view,showing the bomb releasing means, and

Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional view, taken on line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

In carrying out the invention, use ispreferably made of three separateaeroplanes numbered respectively 10, l1 and 12, the two former beingsubstantially in the same horizontal plane while the third aeroplane 12is located centrally and above the other.

The aeroplanes as indicated, are of a conventional type of construction,and contain a car or compartment 14, upon the floor of which are securedone or more ri 'd brackets 15 in which are affixed the outer ends of thesupporting cable 16. Carried internally of the cable 16 are wires 17,connected with the telephones 18, arranged in the cars so thatcommunication from one aeroplane to the others may be obtained.

Mounted upon the cable 16, at spaced intervals therealong are bombsupports 20, the supports having an internal cylindrical recess 21, inwhich is slidable a plunger 22. pressed normally toward one end by thecoiled compression spring 23. Formed with the support 20 is a raised lug24, the same having an opening serving as a guide for the releasingcable 25, secured to an arm 27 on the plunger, operating within a slot28, formed in the body of the support so that as the cable 25 is drawnin one direction, the plunger 22 is caused to move in a correspondingmanner opposing the spring 23. The cable 25 extends inward of the car14, running over a pulley 30, up to a suitable winding mechamsm 32adapted to be manually operated from the interior of the car as can bestbe seen in Fig. 2.

Formed transversely through the 20 is a transverse recess' 35 passinthrough the axial recess 21 so that the p unger 22 sliding therein mayengage with the loop 36 formed in the link connection 37 of the bombs40, the arrangement being such that as the winding device 32 isoperated, drawing the cable 25, all the plungers within the supportsupports are withdrawn past the openings 35, allowing the suspendedbombs to drop in a manner which will be obvious.

In the modification shown in Figs. 5 to 9 inclusive devices arepresented whereby it is possible to drop the bombs consecutlvely ratherthan collectively, the same general suspension arrangement being used asindlcated in Fig. 1, it being understood that in this form, as well asin the other, that the central aeroplane 12 is engaged midway of thecable 16 by a flexible depending element 42, the same supporting thecable should the aeroplanes 10 and 11 move relatively closely together.

In this latter type of construction the supports 20, carried by thecable contain similar cylindrical central recesses 21, containingslidable plungers 22 and springs 23, and are likewise formed with atransverse recess 35, through which the ends of the plungers 22 normallyextend, due to the pressure of the spr' gs.

Fixed in the plunger 22 is an arm 45, movable in the slot 28, andcontaining a transverse passage 46, adapted to guide the cable 25, whichin this case is provided with spherical elements 48 rigidly secured tothe cord, at spaced intervals, while extending centrally into theprojection 45 is an axial opening 50 in which is slidably contained aplug '51 drawn normally downward toward the bottom of the opening 50, bythe coiled tension spring 52, one end of which is secured at the bottomof the opening and the other at the lower end of the plug.

Another projection 54 is formed with the support 20, the zontal pin 55adapted, when the plunger 22 is drawn rearwardly, due to the pull of thecable 25, to enter a recess 57, extending into the arm 45, and through apassage 58, formed in the plug 51.

The extending end of the pin 55 is positioned to make contact with acylindrical stop 66, normally contained in an opening 61, formed in theplug 51. From the opening 61 leads a narrow slot 62 in which the pin 55may move after forcing the cylindrical stop 66 outward into a recess 60,formedin the arm 45.

The cylindrical stop 66 has an extending guide pin 65, slidable in anopening leadmg through the arm 45, and formed axially with thecontaining recess 60. Thus as the spheres, carried by the actuatingcable 25, are drawn in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 6,through the arm 45, they will make contact with the upstanding heads 64,of the movable plugs 51, moving the arm 45 so that the pin 55, engageswith the stop, moving it out of the openin 61 and permitting the plug 51to move ownward and same having a fixed horithe sphere 48 to passthrough the opening 46, carrying the plunger 22 rearwardly so that thebombs may be dropped individually according to the position of theseveral engaging spheres'48 upon the cablev 25.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that a positive acting support hasbeen disclosed by which the operators of an aeroplane are able to dropone or more bombs at any desired time, andas obviously the aeroplanewill be located overthe objects it is sought to destroy, the bombs willbe released and act in an effective manner when desired.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a'bomb dropping device, the combination with a supporting cableand aerial carriers therefor, of a plurality of supports engaged uponsaid cable at spaced intervals therealong, plungers movable in saidsupports, means for pressing said plungers outwardly so as to engagewith said bombs, an actuating cable carried adjacent to said supportingcable, and means on said actuating cable whereby said bombs may befreed.

2. In a bomb dropper, the combination with a cable, and a supportcarried thereby, of a plunger slidable in said support, means forengaging the bomb with said plunger, a guide arm formed with saidsupport, a release cable engaged with said guide arm, contiguous to thefirst named cable, an arm on said plunger, said arm extended outwardly,and contractible with said release cable, a plurality of stops securedupon said release cable, and means in said arm whereby said plunger ismoved within said support upo contact with one of said stops, releasingthe bomb.

3. In a bomb dropping apparatus, the combination with two or more aerialsupports, a cable carriedthereby, and a plurality of bombs, of supportsengaged with said cable, each of said supports suspending an individualbomb, a release cable arranged substantially parallel to the first namedcable, guide arms on said supports through which said release cablepasses, and means operated by said release cable for releasing thesuspended bombs individually.

In a bomb dropper, the combination with a supporting cable and aerialcarriers therefor, of individual supports carried by said cable, saidsupports being substantially cylindrical and containing a central axialbore, a plunger movable in the bore, a spring adapted to press saidplunger normally outward, a transverse recess formed in said supportnear one end of the bore in which said plunger moves, an arm formed withsaid plunger extending outwardly through said support, a projectionformed in said support, .a release cable slidable through said ;pr0ection, a plurality of spheres secured to said release cable, an armfixed upon said plunger extending outwardly through said support, saidarm having an opening through which said release cable moves, meansformed with said am adapted to engage with said spheres whereby saidplunger is moved to oppose said spring, and means in said arm permittingsaid spheres 10 to move past, after the discharge of said bomb.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

HENRY LIMAivoWsKI.

